Skip to content

CSL Search

Jump to bottom
mrdulasolutions edited this page Apr 23, 2026 · 1 revision

CSL Search

Skill name: exchek-csl | Folder: exchek-skill-csl

Search the Consolidated Screening List (CSL) provided by the International Trade Administration via the Trade.gov API. The CSL consolidates 11 export screening lists from the Departments of Commerce, State, and Treasury. Supports all search parameters including fuzzy name matching. Requires a free API key from developer.trade.gov.

When to use

  • "Search the CSL for [name]"
  • "Screen this entity against the consolidated screening list"
  • "Is [company] on the CSL?"
  • "Fuzzy search the CSL for [name]"
  • "Run denied-party screening for this buyer"

API key setup

  1. Go to developer.trade.gov
  2. Sign in and subscribe to Data Services Platform APIs
  3. Copy your API key from your Profile
  4. Provide the key when the skill asks, or set TRADE_GOV_API_KEY as an environment variable

The key is never stored in the skill.

Inputs

Parameter Required Notes
name Yes (for name search) Party or entity name to search
fuzzy_name No Set true for fuzzy matching (works only with name)
sources No Comma-separated source abbreviations (see below)
types No Filter by entity type
countries No ISO alpha-2 codes, comma-separated
address No Street address
city No City
state No State
postal_code No Postal code
full_address No Full address string
offset No Pagination offset
size No Results per page (max 50)

Source abbreviations (most common):

Code List Department
DPL Denied Persons List Commerce/BIS
EL Entity List Commerce/BIS
MEU Military End-User List Commerce/BIS
UVL Unverified List Commerce/BIS
SDN Specially Designated Nationals Treasury/OFAC
SSI Sectoral Sanctions Identifications Treasury/OFAC
FSE Foreign Sanctions Evaders Treasury/OFAC
DTC AECA Debarred List State/DDTC
ISN Nonproliferation Sanctions State
CAP CAPTA List Treasury
CMIC Chinese Military-Industrial Complex Treasury

Flow

Step 0 — CUI/Classified check Asks whether the search involves CUI or classified material. If yes, routes to on-prem guidance. See CUI and Classified Information.

Step 1 — Report folder and format In file-access environments, asks where to save the screening record and preferred format (.docx or .pages).

Step 2 — API key Confirms you have a Trade.gov API key. If not, directs you to developer.trade.gov.

Step 3 — Collect search inputs Gathers the name (required) and any optional parameters above.

Step 4 — Build the request Constructs a GET request to https://data.trade.gov/consolidated_screening_list/v1/search with your key and parameters.

Step 5 — Call the API and parse results Executes the search and parses the JSON response. For fuzzy searches, notes the match score and explains confidence.

Step 6 — Summarize results Presents results in chat: which list(s) each hit comes from, key fields (name, addresses, countries), and score when relevant.

Step 7 — Build the screening record Fills the 8-section denied party screening template and produces a .docx.

Step 8 — Compliance reminder Reminds that CSL results are assistive and must be verified against official agency sources before compliance decisions.

Output: Denied Party Screening Transaction Record

The report has 8 sections:

  1. Counterparty / screened party information
  2. Transaction / search details
  3. Screening execution (tool, lists screened, date, overall result)
  4. Hit adjudication (each hit: list, name, country, address, score)
  5. Red flag assessment
  6. AI / tool disclosure
  7. Screening certification and final disposition
  8. Rescreening history log

File name: ExChek-CSL-Report-YYYY-MM-DD-ShortQueryName.docx

Which lists are on the CSL?

The CSL consolidates:

  • Denied Persons List (DPL) — Commerce/BIS
  • Entity List (EL) — Commerce/BIS
  • Military End-User List (MEU) — Commerce/BIS
  • Unverified List (UVL) — Commerce/BIS
  • Nonproliferation Sanctions (ISN) — State
  • AECA Debarred List (DTC) — State/DDTC
  • Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) — Treasury/OFAC
  • Sectoral Sanctions Identifications (SSI) — Treasury/OFAC
  • Foreign Sanctions Evaders (FSE) — Treasury/OFAC
  • CAPTA List (CAP) — Treasury
  • Chinese Military-Industrial Complex (CMIC) — Treasury/OFAC

The skill can call GET https://data.trade.gov/consolidated_screening_list/v1/sources to retrieve the current list of available sources.

Fallback (offline / API unavailable)

If the Trade.gov API is unavailable, download the full CSL as JSON, CSV, or TSV from trade.gov/consolidated-screening-list or use the web search engine.

Skills to use with this one

Next step Skill
Red flags for the counterparty Red Flag Assessment
Score overall transaction risk Risk Triage
Classify what's being sold ECCN Classification
Bundle all results for the customer Compliance Report Card
Historical re-screening Audit / Lookback

Compliance disclaimer

Results from the CSL API are assistive only and do not constitute legal or compliance advice. Users must verify any determination against official Federal Register publications and the original lists maintained by Commerce, State, and Treasury before relying on them for compliance decisions.

Clone this wiki locally